Act 3 Scene 3 of Othello is a pivotal scene - explain how act 3 scene 3 is a pivotal scene and how it builds on previous events and foreshadows events still to come.

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Introduction

Act 3 Scene 3 of Othello is a pivotal scene In what ways does it build on previous events still to come? In this essay I am going to explain how act 3 scene3 is a pivotal scene and how it builds on previous events and foreshadows events still to come. In act 3 scene 3 events happen to build on previous events and foreshadow events still to come. One of these events is Desdemona frequently talking about Cassio, as she says. "Your lieutenant, Cassio" Desdemona also defends Cassio by saying that he should get his job back. "Good love call him back" This foreshadows Othello getting suspicious and going to do something bad to Desdemona. Iago tells Othello to beware of jealousy. "Beware my lord of jealousy" This foreshadows Othello getting jealous of Desdemona. Iago mentions that if Desdemona can deceive her father she can deceive Othello. "She did deceive her father marrying you" This will make Othello even more suspicious about his wife. Othello is quick to judge, he jumps to conclusions without having a fair trial. ...read more.

Middle

Othello is regretting that he married Desdemona as he says, "Why did I marry" This means that Othello is starting to believe Iago because he thinks Iago is honest, "This fellows of exceeding honesty" Othello thinks that if Iago is honest then he must be telling the truth. Othello is starting to show signs of weakness. In this scene everybody in the play think Iago is honest and we, the audience know that this is not true. This makes it more exiting for the audience to watch. Othello starts to think it is because he is black, that's why Desdemona is having an affair. "Haply for I am black" When this play was written, racism was not a big thing as it is today. There was not that many black people at the time this was written. Othello says it because he is worried, he will think up of any reason why she would have an affair with Cassio. This proves that Iago's manipulative scheme is working and Othello is beginning to see a different view towards Desdemona. ...read more.

Conclusion

Although he is brave, he has many weaknesses as well. He is quick to judge, he believes every word Iago says and thinks that his wife Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio and that is his downfall. Shakespeare uses many skills as a dramatist; one of his skills is dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is when an audience knows something that other characters in the play do not. In the play we, the audience know that Iago is an evil character but the rest of the characters in the play do not know this. They think he is good honest and a trustworthy man. Dramatic irony makes the play a lot more exiting; it almost makes you want to shout out what Iago is doing to the other characters. Without dramatic irony the play would not have been as good. Another skill Shakespeare has a dramatist is imagery. As can be seen from my essay act 3 scene 3 is a pivotal scene. This is because of Iago using his skills to persuade Othello to thinking that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona. At the beginning of the scene he loves Desdemona but at the end of the scene he hate her and wants to kill her. 1 ...read more.

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The change which evolves in Othello is not only shown by Iago's persuasion, but by his change in attitude each time that Desdemona enters the scene, as she shows through contrast the decline in his mindset. His reference to her as the "fair devil" is an oxymoron, and suggests a religious belief.

Othello is thinking back to this moment after Iago has warned him about Desdemona having an affair with Cassio and knowing what Iago thinks women from Venice are like; lying, stealing, cheating, Othello may think that Desdemona would want Cassio to have his job back because she is having an affair with him.

He is articulating that Othello could not win Desdomona therefore used witchcraft to ensnare Desdomona. Othello does not react like we would expect someone to when being abused so blatantly. He keeps calm and asks for Desdomona. It is frightening to think that this stereotypical view of Black people still exists today, nearly 400 years after the play was written.

When Desdemona and Othello depart from the scene, this playful romantic comedy starts to become a 'hideous' tragedy. This is clearly seen when the pernicious napkin is forsaken on the floor it is retrieved by the deprecated Emelia, wife of Iago.

This is ironic as Iago is deceiving everyone into believing he is someone that he is not. Iago hints that his suspicious thoughts between Cassio and Desdemona be " vile and false". He also admits to thinking wrongly of people, guessing in his thoughts and always being suspicious of everyone

secretly enriching himself, and later says, "In following him, I follow but myself." From this, one might think that he is still fairly straightforward in his plans, that he merely intends to betray Othello at some later date. However, in the third scene, he shows the audience his ability to

Iago complains of Othello's pride and "bombast circumstance" and is angered by the appointment of Cassio, and educated military theoretician of Florence to lieutenant, instead of himself. Although he knows Othello is a proud man, his open and trusting nature in the beginning of the play will be eroded by the conclusion of the plot.

It is interesting this is almost what will happen later on it the play. In fact, Othello starts to fulfil this prediction at the end of Act III, scene 3. During this scene, Othello constantly comments on how honest and loyal Iago is to him, which is ironic because we